Kondorf Creek Farm might just be the Barossa Valley’s best kept secret.
The family-owned winery sits in the beautiful, historic village of Krondorf, and this Friday, its cellar door is reopening.
It’s a little unusual for a cellar door to reopen. For Kondorf Creek Farm, it’s all part of the charm.
“We’re a tiny little cellar door and pride ourselves on being a true-estate property,” says co-owner Jess Greatwich.
Jess and partner James started making wine in 2012 and opened their cellar door late last year.
“The day we opened the cellar door was the day we sold our first bottle,” says Jess. “We sold out completely in six and a half months.”
The two had deliberately refrained from selling their wines before the opening.
“We really wanted to offer an aged wine,” Jess explains. “To do that, we had to build up a museum cellar.”
Jess tells me she and James have also refrained from submitting their wines for judging in an effort to further foster consumer relationships.
Throughout our conversation she reflects on the genuineness and intimacy of the Kondorf Creek Farm Cellar Door experience.
“When people visit us, they connect with something very real,” she says.
To taste, or purchase, a Kondorf Creek wine, you actually have to visit the cellar door.
Jess and James have also chosen not to make their wines available in retail outlets, wine stores, or restaurants.
Instead, guests are invited to the Barossa, to take a drive and chance an adventure.
To get to the cellar door, you must drive through the vineyards near the original farming property Jess and James call home. The property is 160 years old and has been renovated from ruin to rustic.
The actual cellar door was once the smokehouse, and within it still sits an impressive fireplace.
The wines offered are dependent on the grow, and differ from year to year.
“We’re a tiny producer and we love the uniqueness of our wines,” says Jess.
There is also a uniqueness in the labelling, as Jess illustrates each one by hand.
Last year, the wines on offer included a Mataro, Grenache, GSM Blend, Shiraz, and a Cabernet.
As for the reopening?
According to Jess, she and James are looking to celebrate in the “traditional Barossa way” with bread, mettwurst, Nina Simone on the speaker, and of course, a glass of wine.
You can find Krondorf Creek Farm at 224 Krondorf Road, Krondorf SA, 5352, Australia.
The cellar door is set to reopen Friday 12 July at 12pm. For more info, see here.
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